


Family Doesn’t End With Blood

by AvengerOfTheGods



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Age Regression/De-Aging, Diapers, F/M, Harry Needs a Hug, He finally gets them, Muggle AU, Severus is married, She’s very nice and loving, Sibling Bonding, They have two children, bed wetting, bottles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:47:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26879971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvengerOfTheGods/pseuds/AvengerOfTheGods
Summary: Harry Potter has always been abused and treated like an animal. What happens when the kind neighbors find and take in the boy. Even though they have two boys of their own.This is also on Wattpad.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter & Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter & Original Male Character(s), Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This isn’t a one shot I just don’t know how to change it on my phone. Enjoy

"I told you Petunia! I told you that we couldn't trust that Freak in the house!" a round bellied man shouted while Petunia, his wife, stood staring at the wall with an undescribable look. "You gave the freak a chance and now look what he's done!" One might believe that the couple is speaking about some kind of animal their son brought home in hopes of keeping it as a pet. Unfortunately that couldn't be further from the truth as the man, commonly known as Vernon Dursely, began to turn multiple shades of red and purple due to his frustration and anger of the situation at hand.

The Freak, otherwise known as Harry Potter-- the couple's young nephew-- had yet again broken another one of their vases, burnt the family's breakfast, and wet himself seeing as his Uncle wouldn't let him use the bathroom until all of his chores were completed. A list a fully grown healthy man would find hard to complete, much less a malnourished child. This of course didn't mattter to anyone other than said child, and now Harry had to suffer the consequences of his actions even if they weren't done on purpose.

The skinny eight year old stood near his cupboard door per his Uncle's instructions, hopping from foot to foot as the itchiness of his unintended accident started to irritate his formerly smooth skin combined with his growing anxiety. The small boy shrunk back at the sounds of his Uncle's shouts at his Aunt. This is all his fault. He felt horrible, but who else would do the chores and make breakfast if he was to be banned from the house? Surely Uncle Vernon wouldn't subject his wife or real child to the same treatment as Harry had to endure for as long as he could remember.

This is one of the many the reason why Petunia kept giving him more chances no matter how he screwed them up. Unfortunatley, he blew it like he always did and now... now he's going to be at the end of one long lecture from his Uncle. The only thing Harry can do is wait for his Uncle to finish his rant before it all went suddenly quiet. This type of angry silence only ever means one thing. Uncle Vernon stands looming over his terrified frame, a sly smug smile spreading across his face.

Harry squirms and looks away, though this action was soon interrupted as his chin being grabbed by one large beefy hand and he is made to look at his Uncle's face, but no his eyes. He learned at an early age to never look adults in the eye when they're angry.

"You, boy, are in for it!" Vernon snarled, dragging the boy by his chin and into the back garden where he roughly shoved the boy against a brick wall.

The ginormous man towered over him, refusing to give Harry any personal space what so ever. Was that garlic Harry could smell radiating from his Uncles breath? Who knows. "You smashed another vase, burnt my breakfast, AND relieved yourself over another rug! Do you think we've got money to keep buying rugs just for you to ruin them?!" Vernon spat, his saliva spraying all over Harry's frightened face.

"How old are you? Two!? You're such a freak!" Vernon slapped him across the face, leaving a nicely forming purple hand print on the boys left cheek.

Harry didn't cry out, scream or do anything of the sort. He's used to pain by now, and he's got scars to prove it and memories he'll never forget for a lifetime. "Now bend over, you're getting thirty!" Harry scrambled into action, bending over and placing his palms on the wall to steady himself.

He knows that this is going to hurt and make him want to cry, and he absolutely hates them, but Freaks aren't allowed to cry... at least that's what his Uncle always says to him.

"I want you to count them. No crying and no yelling. Freaks are meant to do as they're told and stay out of the way."

And with that, Vernon slapped him on his rear end, the boy's already irritated skin causes it to feel ten times worse. The boy couldn't cry out as he knew that it would make the spanking worse, so he simply scrunched his eyes up tight and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as he whispered numbers every time his uncle's hand hits his bottom and thighs. 

He wants out.

He wants help. 

He wanted all this to stop.

Eventually the spanking stops as Harry counted forty. He's dangerously close to tears yet he won't let them fall. Not now anyway, but later, he'll do like he does every night: cry until he can cry no more and soon drift off into a restless sleep. It's an every night occurrence and the young boy grew used to it, but he wishes that he doesn't have to grow up this way. 

"We're going out, and you're staying here. You've lost your privilege of ever stepping foot into house again. We can't trust a freak like you to show us up, so you're staying out here," Vernon spits while dragging the child towards the garden. He picks up the familiar chain that he had drilled to the side of the shed and fastening it around one of the boy's thin ankles.

The man then walked back into the house only to come back out with two bowls, one filled with water and another filled with some sort of brown chewed up mush which Harry recognized as dog food, the only food he was allowed to eat on a semi-regular basis.

"This is all you're getting for the rest of the week, so make it last!" With one final kick to the boys stomach, Vernon strode back inside, shut the patio doors, and slid the curtains shut.

Why only he got punished and not his cousin is beyond Harry's knowledge. Why is it only he that gets treated like... like... like an animal! He wanted to be free from his horrid life, and free from being looked at like some unwanted toy that got thrown into the bin. Ever since his parents died his life turned to hell.

Why? Harry didn't know, but he wanted it to change and soon because the poor young boy doesn't know how much longer he can cope living like this.

He envies his cousin Dudley so much. Kisses goodnight, story before bed, and plenty of toys to play with. Harry remembered the one time when he was three years old that he tried to get a goodnight kiss from his Aunt. Instead, he got a slap to the face, and he never asked for one again.

What child needed to live in such fear? Fear of never being loved, never being able to run into their mother's arms when upset or needing someone to lean on.

Fear that no one will ever love them.

Harry apparently did need to live with these fears. Each birthday he wished the same wish, but it never came true. He dreamed of having a happy ever after to only wake up in the nightmare he's been living in for seven years, each day losing the hope of ever gaining what he once treasured: a family, love, and happiness.

Harry looks up as he hears his Uncle's car pull out of his drive, the three other members of the household having gone to enjoy a happy family outing without him of course. He's just the unwanted freak.

The boy lays his head down on his knees that he draws to his chest, tired eyes staring at nothing in particular and stomach growling as it tried to get Harry to realize that it needs to be fed. But the boy ignored it, too far gone into his self deprivation.

~

Severus, the Dursley's next door neighbour came round later on to return their garden sweeping brush, as theirs had broke. The man knocked on the door only to receive no answer. Being the good neighbour he was brought up to be, Severus walked around the back to the garden to place the brush against their shed. 

Confident that they would see it and he wouldn't need to waste time coming back, the tall gentleman with black, shoulder length hair then started to head back home,only to pause when he heard soft wheezing sounds coming from the other side of the shed.

Walking around, the man's eyebrows raised up into his hairline at the scene before him. A small boy, maybe no older then five or six, laid sound asleep in the grass, bruises littering his dirtied skin and black bags hung under the boys eyes. Long black locks hung down to the boys shoulders in think dirty clumps as little fingers twitched as he laid asleep.

Quiet whimpers could be heard as the boy twitched and moved around slightly, and the man became concerned.

He didn't know what to do as the boy seemed to be shackled to the wall by a chain. Looking beside him he sees a bowl of what seemed to be dog food that's clearly been eaten out of along with a dish of water that seemed to be left untouched.

Severus took his phone out of his pocket and rang his wife, as he knew she would know what to do. 

"Charity, I need you to come next door. I'm in the back garden. I can't explain over the phone.Yes, just hurry," Severus ended the call and crouched down next to the boy, deciding he wouldn't wake him until his wife appeared.

Guaranteed it was another five minutes before Charity showed herself, but once she laid eyes on the young boy she nearly began to cry. "Sev, who would do such a thing?" Charity too kneeled down next to the boy, not even wanting to touch the lad in fear of hurting him more.

"What do we do? We can't leave him here! He's obviously abused and it's unsafe for him," Severus stated in a hushed voice. "There's nothing we can do but ring child services. He's tied to the wall by a chain, Sev. We won't be able to break the chain without putting ourselves in danger. We're going to have to leave it to the professionals. Let's make the call before we lose the poor thing," Charity replied, not once looking up at her husband as her focus remained on the sleeping child.

"You're right, but we can't leave him here. Do we take pictures? Is that getting too involved?" Severus pondered. "Probably not but for now just ring child services quickly before his parents or whoever did this returns and get the police on us for intruding on their property," Charity intructed, and Severus whipped his cellphone out in order to dial up Child Protection Services.

Severus wandered around the garden as he described to the CPS manager what he's found and what state the boy is in and everything that followed. Severus ended the call with the information that they would be there in the next ten minutes along with the police and that his job is to stay with the child until they get here.

"They're on their way now, and we have to stay here until they've arrived on the scene," Severus informed his wife as he sat back down next to the boy.

~

Another nine and a half minutes later (Severus may or may not have been counting), CPS arrives. Severus walked up to them in order to bring her and her colleague to where the boy was. "Alex, take pictures. We need this as evidence," the woman, known as Emily, instructed, pulling her notebook out of her pocket before examining the boy. "Bruises over legs, arms, and face, ripped over-sized clothes, malnourished and underweight... oh, the list goes on. Have you gotten the pictures, Alex?" at the man's nod, Emily smiled and turned to Charity and Severus. man

"Thank you for calling us. We will be taking the boy to the Child Protection Services center where he will be looked after and given a new home. The police will arrive in the next couple of minutes to interrogate the Dursley's, and they may want to talk with you as well," Charity told Severus with a smile as Alex went to go get the small boy.

However, Severus couldn't stop himself from extending his arm out to stop the other woman from doing so. Charity gave him a surprised look, and Emily didn't look too pleased herself. "We'll take him in. He doesn't need the whole foster care system when his life has been hell already. We'll take care of him," Severus stated, his heart pounding.

He couldn't allow himself to let this boy be taken away. He's been hurt enough, and it can't go on any longer.

"Sir, it's policy that we take him now. Step back and let us assess him," Severus stood his ground. "He's staying with us, and that's final. You know it as well as I do that that he needs a proper home and someone to care for him. He's waited God knows how long for that to happen, so why does it have to wait... when... when we can take him in?" Tears sprung to Severus' eyes.

In such a short amount of time, the man didn't know how he could have grown such an emotional bond with the young lad.

But everything he had said was genuine. He and his family will look after the boy and help him to feel loved and wanted. No one knows how long the boy has been deprived of these this, but now Severus will finally be able to provide him with it.

Emily sighed and shared a look with Alex, nodding her head before turning back to Severus. "I will be back tomorrow to start the paperwork. I wish you luck. You're going to have your hands full," Severus nearly yelped with joy, but he managed to keep a straight face while shaking hands with Emily and Alex and bidding them goodbye.

He then looked around at anything that could pick the lock of the chain around the boys ankles.

"I have a hair clip that should work," Charity offered, pulling one of her hair slides out and giving it to her husband. She sighed in relief once it worked. Severus cautiously lifted it off of the boy's ankle and then, carefully, so as to not wake the boy up, he lifted the small lad into his arms so his head was buried into his shoulder and his own hands were supporting the boy's bum.

"Oh, the poor thing, Sev. Let's bring him home," Charity set a gentle hand on the boy's back before walking beside her husband as they headed back home with the new addition to their family.


	2. New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been updating this on Wattpad but not here. Whoops

Severus stood with the small sleeping boy in his arms as Charity opened up their front door to be greeted by their eager children. Both boys are a spitting imahe of their dad, though they did have some of their mother's features. Although everyone is thankful that the signature Snape nose skipped a generation.

"You're back!" shouted one of the raven haired boys, fourteen year old Oliver. "Mum said something about a matter being urgent. Is everything alright?" the other boy, fifteen year old Thomas (or Tom as his friends call him) spoke. "Shh, you have to be quiet. We have a new guest staying with us, and I'd rather him not wake up yet," Charity replied in a hushed voice to her two sons.

It took a moment for the information to sink into the two boys' hyperactive brains as they looked over to the young boy in their father's arms, who stirred before settling down to sleep again. 

"He's so dirty!" Oliver exclaimed though it was more of an observation than a complaint. 

"I know. Now keep your voices down," Severus hushes the boys again before making his way upstairs. "I'm going to put him in the spare room, and when I get back we're all going to have a chat," he told them before disappearing out of sight with the boy in tow.

"Right, you two, lets go make drinks and get some snacks. We have a serious matter on our hands so no funny business when your father comes back," Charity scolds, though she had a hint of humor in her voice. The two boys nodded and went to go help their mum with the drinks and snacks, something they tend to do for serious discussions like the one they were about to have.

~

Upstairs, Severus lays the child down in the big double bed, pulling the large, soft duvet over the small boy before standing back and admiring the young lad. "You're safe now, little one," Severus commented before kissing the boys forehead and walking out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack so he would be able to hear it when he woke up.

Heading back down to the front room, the raven haired man is then met with his family sat on the sofas with drinks and chocolates, patiently waiting for him. "How is he? Did he go down alright?" Charity worried. Severus rolled his eyes playfully as he sat down in his signature seat. "He went down perfectly well, Charity. Now let's get to the matter at hand before he wakes up," the man declared before taking a sip from his cup.

"So as you can probably already tell, we have a new guest with us," Charity began. "This young boy has been tied to a wall by a chain, and his relatives are at fault for it," tears began to form in the woman's eyes. 

"Y-you mean he was treated like a d-dog?" Thomas spoke up with furrowed brows. 

"Seems so. It also looks like he's only allowed dog food and water in a bowl. The boy hasn't even had a decent meal, not to mention the food he did get must've made him sick from time to time," Severus continued, both Thomas and Oliver taking on disbelieving looks.

"Your father and I have rescued him and we have decided to take him in as another Snape. Adoption papers will be coming around tomorrow with other information and we will be the boy's new legal guardians," Charity told the boys excitedly, and Oliver and Thomas shared an excited look themselves. "I know it's going to be a rough few weeks, but you need to be careful and patient with him. We don't know what has happened to him while living next door and anything could set him off," Charity became serious, and Severus agreed with everything she said. "We will mum. We'll be the best big brothers ever!" Oliver claimed, giving his mum a hug.

"Yeah, Mum. I'll watch out for him, and, and- I'll get to teach him some things! This is gonna be so awesome!" Thomas fist bumped the air and hugged his mum and dad. "How about we watch a film until the boy wakes up. It shouldn't be long now until he does as he's been asleep for a while now. This seems like the only sleep he's gotten in a while, though," Severus realizes, setting the TV up to watch a film. "Do you not know his name, Dad? You keep calling him 'the boy'?" Thomas asked curiously, sitting down next to his mum and getting comfy as Oliver sat on the other side of her.

Come to think of it, they hadn't seen the boy before or even knew he existed. Everyone knows of their son who, at such a young age, is already turning out to be a bully. It's almost as if their neighbors didn't want other people to know the other child existed. "No, I don't know his name. I can't say I have ever heard the neighbors talk about him or even see him about. I think they have tried to hide him away," Severus confessed, his two boys not liking the answer.

Settling on a movie, Severus pressed play before settling down with his family.

~

Sometime later, the small raven haired boy had begun to stir awake, eyes wide as he noticed the softness from underneath him, something he's never become accustomed to feeling. Sitting up, Harry looked around to see a room he didn't recognize and began to slightly panic as he had no idea where he was. Squirming around, he soon noticed the feeling of wetness between his legs and the cold dampness that clung to him.

It wasn't a surprise, as he has wet the bed on more than one occasion, but to have wet someone else's bed terrifies him. God knows what the owner will do to him once they find out.

Sliding off of the bed, the boy starts to strip the sheets off of the bed. He doesn't want to get into any more trouble.

~

"I think he's awake. I can hear movement coming from upstairs," Charity declared after hearing the floor above them creak again. 

"I'll go up," Severus replied as he begins to stand up, only to get pushed back down by his wife. 

"I'll go this time. You finish watching the movie with your sons," Charity raises an eyebrow in challenge, but Severus sighs and allows her to go. Charity carefully made her way upstairs and entered the guest bedroom only to gasp at the sight before her. 

"Darling, what are you doing?" She softly spoke, though the boy had jumped out of his skin and started to back up against the wall. "Hey, hey, shh. I'm not going to hurt you," the brunette woman coos, gently sitting in front of the boy and letting a small, gentle smile grace her lips. "Come here, sweet heart, hm?" Charity cooed again, opening her arms for the boy only for him to flinch backwards.

"I am not going to hurt you, little one. I'm here to help you. Can you tell me your name?" Charity asked softly, attempting to gain the boys trust first even if it's only a little bit. Harry looked up at the woman and softly started to cry. Although he was told numerous times that freaks like him are not allowed to cry, he couldn't help himself. He's frightened and confused. He doesn't know where he is. He doesn't know who this woman was. He has no clue what he's supposed to do or what's going on.

Did Vernon finally sell him?

Could he trust her?

Does he run, kick and scream for help until he can scream no more?

Is she anything like his aunt and uncle?

Or can he run into her arms crying for the help he never received before?

Harry didn't know, but he soon finds himself bringing a small tentative hand toward the kind lady, fingers shaking in fear as he reached out. She could lash out at him at any second. Charity smiled and held out her own hand, watching at the boy looked at it before hesitantly taking a hold of it as his other hand went to his mouth to suck his thumb, a comfort mechanism he had since he was two years old.

"That's it, good boy. Now what's your name? I'm Charity."

Harry looked into the woman's bright blue eyes to find his fear slowly drifting away. "F-freak," the young boy replied, his heart pounding in his chest. 

Charity is slightly taken aback but knows that with physical abuse, mental and emotional abuse can't be too far behind.

"Do you have another name people call you? Maybe at school or if you go to the park?"

"D-don't go to school. Freak has t-to cook and c-clean," he answers while ducking his head. This woman is being so nice and he can't even answer a simple question.

Charity frowned sympathetically as she notices the boy's wet clothes, or rather the remnants of what use to be clothing. "Would you like to get changed sweetheart? I can't see those wet things as being comfortable," she gently fussed while also changing the subject. There is no way in hell she'd call a child Freak. the young boy looked away as his cheeks glowed a bright red.

" 'M sorry! I-I didn't mean t-to!" he cried, attempting to pull his hand out of the woman's much softer one, though she wouldn't let go and instead brought him closer to her chest. The next thing Harry knows, her arms are wrapped around him, her comforting voice whispering sweet nothings into his ear. "It was an accident, darling, nothing we can't sort out. It'll all be okay."

Harry starts to cry. All of the comfort and fussing was overwhelming to him, and the poor boy didn't know what to do or how to cope with it all. Despite this, he finds himself gripping the woman's shirt as he cries onto her shoulder.

Charity stroked the boys greasy hair to try and calm him down, and eventually, his sobs were reduced to small hiccups and sniffles. "There we go, all cried out now, huh? You just needed a good cry, didn't you?" Charity cooed, realizing that the boy poor boy was in dire need of a bath. "Sev! Can you come up here please?" the woman shouted, Harry flinching as shouting always brought something bad along with it.

~

Severus stretched out before standing up, frowning with concern when his wife calls him upstairs. The credits are just starting to roll so he faces his boys, "You two stay here. I'm off to help your mother."

Oliver and Thomas mock saluted, watching as their father disappeared up the stairs.

"Yes, Charity? What seems to be the- oh," Severus's eyes travelled down to the boy in his wife's arms, whose red puffy eyes are closed shut as silent tears slide down his hollow cheeks. "He had an accident, but it's going to be alright because it's just a mere accident," Charity cooed as she felt the boy flinch in her arms. 

"Indeed it is. I guess you need me to run a bath then? You alright getting him undressed?" Severus managed to say, saddened that the boy looked so small and frail. "If you don't mind. He won't let go of me, so it's going to have to do."

Severus nodded, kissing his wife's cheek before heading off down the hallway.

~

The man soon finished running the bath, feeling the water one more time before calling his wife through. "Bath's ready!" Severus shouted, and within another two minutes, footsteps could be heard approaching the bathroom. "We're here. Shall we get these clothes off of you then, darling? We can't put you in the bath with them on, can we?" Charity chuckled as she sat on the closed toilet seat, Harry in her lap as Severus stayed knelt on the floor beside the bath tub. The poor chuld was trembling halfway between snuggling into Charity and leaning away. Seeing the bubbly water in the big bath tub, Harry couldn't help but become nervous and fidgety. 

"Sweetheart, are you alright? What's wrong, hm?" Charity questions as the boy struggled to sit still. Harry however simply shrugged his shoulders and turned away from the water. Charity only smiles at the boy before sharing a concerned frown with her husband.

"Right, let's get you out of these clothes then. Stand up for me, sweetie."

Harry does as he's told despite his hesitance to leave the comforting arms of the kind woman. "Lift your arms up, love. Harry lifted both up, and his ragged top was thrown straight into the bin. He then stared at the bath, frightened. He was definitely not alright. He wasn't even close to being alright. Everyone else may think that bath time is all fun and bubbles, splashing about and giggling, but for Harry... for Harry it resurfaced memories, flashbacks, fears. Harry couldn't stand the thought of having a bath right now!

He simply couldn't bring himself to go near it. He didn't care if he was in a stranger's house. He would not be going in. His phobia of the bath is due to his aunty and uncle... These nice people wouldn't dunk his head under the water, would they? They wouldn't let him freeze in cold water either, he thought. Would they?

There was only one way to find out, but poor little Harry wasn't quite brave enough. Although, the luxury of having bubbles was quite inviting. It didn't compel him to warm up to the idea of the bath, though. "Legs out next," Charity snapped him out of his thoughts, and Harry stepped out of his secondhand underwear and trousers as the woman pulled them down, not in the least embarrassed about having his lower regions hanging out for these strangers to see.

However, as soon as Charity excluded the boys clothes, she and her husband couldn't help but let their jaws drop to the floor. The boy was covered in blisters, scars, cuts and bruises. The worst of it might have to be the red, raw, angry rash that covered the boy's entire lower region. It looked horribly,  
painful, and Charity felt a pang of synpathy for the boy. "Oh, darling, that must be so painful."

Harry chooses to ignore the comment. Besides, even if it does hurt a teensy tiny bit, he's grown used to it by now. It doesn't bother him anymore.

"Right, let's get you into this bath and we'll take care of that later, shall we?" Severus suggested, overcoming his shock before picking the boy up by his armpits and attempting to sit him into the water. Still, the boy did not move and clung to Severus's shirt as he curled his legs into his chest, not wanting to touch the water as his heart rapidly pumped in fear. "Harry, boy, come on now. We need to get you washed."

Harry surprisingly shook his head 'no' before freezing his actions and beginning to cry, hiding his face in the man's neck as he gripped tighter.

"Hey, hey. Come on now, what's bothering you?" Severus swayed a little to help calm the shaking boy. "Do you not like baths?" Severus concluded, only receiving a nod in reply as the boy sucked on his thumb. "Did, err- did your relatives ever do something bad to you in the bath, Harry?" Severus asks again, only receiving another nod in reply. "Well, this one is a fun bath. Look at at all these bubbles!" Severus excitedly coos, picking up a handful of bubbles and bringing them to the boy's face.

Harry looked up at the bubbles before looking to Charity. "It's okay, sweetie. Try and touch them. They won't hurt you."

Harry glanced back at the bubbles and tentatively reached out his left hand to touch them, letting a little small grace his lips as he touched the weird substance. "See, there's nothing to be afraid of. Bubbles are fun and so are baths when they're used correctly," Severus explained, kneeling down so Harry's head was in height with the side of the bathtub. "Look."

Harry watches closely as Severus dips his hand into the water and splashed around.

The next thing Harry knew, Severus was quickly moving his hand and splashing the kind woman who had joined them on the floor. "Sev!" giggled Charity, wiping at her face and giving Harry a smile as she caught the boy looking over at her with eyes mixed with surprised and worry. "See, it's just water. You wanna try?" Charity tried, gently grabbing the hand that wasn't stuck in Harry's mouth and sticking it into the bath water. She then moved his hand around before moving it to splash Severus.

"Haha! You cheeky little rascal," Severus chuckled, now wiping at his own face and tickling Harry, who let out little squeals of laughter. Severus and Charity smiled, as it was the first time they had heard the boy actually giggle. If they were honest, they couldn't feel happier. "Right, now how about we get you into the bath," Severus suggested, lifting the boy up and gently standing him in the bath. Harry made no attempt to move as he looked up at the two adults and back down at the water again.

The water was warm, whereas his aunt's baths were always cold.

There are bubbles, whereas his aunt's bath never had any.

The dunking of his head under water never came, whereas his aunt dunked his head in at the first chance she got.

Maybe this bath really was going to be different. Maybe with a lot of reassurance, Harry would be able to enjoy a bath without getting hurt. However that seemed never to be, as as soon as his bottom made contact with the water as he decided to sit down, he couldn't help but let out a scream of pure pain.

"Hey, hey, little man. It's alright." Severus soothed as he wrapped an arm around the boy's waist to keep him from slipping in the bath. Harry, however, is having none of it and continues to cry. He was in so much pain, and the rash felt like it was burning him. "Out! I wan' out! Please!" the boy sobbed. He just couldn't take it. "Oh, honey, just give it a moment, hm? The rash will settle down, but we really do have to get you washed up."

Harry tries to taper his sobbing, he really did. Saliva and snot flew everywhere, and his eyes became red and puffy. He had no idea what had provoked it, but for once in a very long while, he trusted the kind woman and allowed the water to touch his very sore bottom and bits. Eventually, like she had told him, his rash did indeed stop hurting, and now he'll hopefully be able to enjoy the rest of his bath.


	3. No More Uncle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some one said that they would only read if if I continue and I would hate for them to miss such a good story if I do say so myself.

"Right I'm going to get you washed up now, little one. Let's get you all nice and clean, yeah?" Severus spoke in a gentle tone as he lathered a flannel up with soap, ready to wash the boy. "This won't hurt. I promise, alright?"

Harry, although rather hesitant, nodded his head, long black locks falling into his face at the action.   
"Stand up then. It'll make it easier," Severus instructed the boy, kneeling on the cool tile of the bathroom floor.

He did as told and stood up with the help of Charity. The woman doesn't want the boy to fall and multiply the injuries he already has. "Good boy. Right, you just stand there and I'll get to washing you," Severus tells him softly, soapy wash cloth in hand. He started on his face and gradually travelled down to his bony shoulders and malnourished stomach. Next to be washed is the boy's sore bottom area, which the man tried to wash as quickly as possible.

Whimpers were heard, but other than that, the child doesn't protest as his scarred, malnourished body was ever so gently washed. 

"Alright, I'm all done, kiddo. Now it's time to wash that mop of hair of yours, yeah? Who would you like me or Charity?" Severus points first at himself and then at his wife. He thinks about it and then points at Charity.

The woman smiled softly at the boy, happy he was warming up to the two of them, and she then switched places with her husband. "Right, I'll need you to tilt your head back for me, sweetheart," Charity cooed, retrieving a cup from the side of the bath. Harry did as told and tilted his head back, green eyes full of fear as he stared up at the ceiling. 

"Hey, Sweetie, there's nothing to be afraid of," Severus noticed the boy beginning to shake, eyes glossing over.  
"I'm just going to wet your hair first, darling, alright? It won't hurt one bit," Charity smiled, attempting to radiate her aura onto the frightened child. The boy nodded hesitantly, trusting, and the woman carefully tipped the water over his head.

However as she was doing so, Harry loses balance and falls backward, eyes wide as the back of his head hits the bath water. He gripped the handles that are placed at the side of the bath in order to catch himself, body shaking as tears cascaded down his smooth cheeks, Charity gasped. It wasn't long before the young boy started to bawl and claw at the bathtub in an attempt to escape, Severus stepped in to gently pry his hands away and help him into a sitting position.

Harry doesn't care if he is misbehaving. He's had enough, and he was stupid to think he could actually enjoy a bath without somehow getting dunked under the water. "Hey, hey shhh, love. Come on now, it's alright. I know that was so scary, but you're okay. You aren't hurt, sweetheart. Can I finish washing your hair before it's time to get out. Hm?" Charity cooed softly, rubbing the boys back and ignoring the flinch that followed.

However, Harry rapidly shook his head. "Out! Out!" He screamed, beginning to stand up out of the water. He hated it! Severus and Charity shared a look before pulling the plug and deciding that enough was enough for today. "Okay, okay calm down now, mister. Come here, yeah?" Severus crooned as he picked the boy up and stood him on the bath mat, retrieving a white towel to wrap around the crying boy before lifting him onto his hip. Harry then laid his head on the man's shoulder as he pulled at his lashes, continuing to cry and hiccup.

"Someones tired, hm?" Charity cooed as she stroked the boy's rosy red cheek. Harry opened his tired, bloodshot eyes to glance at the woman before sniffling and rubbing his face on Severus' shoulder, smearing snot and tears onto the man's t-shirt in the process. "Don't go to sleep just yet, buddy. We have to get some food into that little belly of yours," chuckled Severus as he and Charity headed to their bedroom.

The man laid the boy down on their bed, as he glanced around nervously before calming at the sight of Charity's soft smile.

Severus used the towel to properly dry the small twelve year old, opening up the towel afterwards to reveal the rash between his legs. 

"It seems to be looking a bit better now, but it still looks very irritated. Where's the cream?" Severus asked as he rubbed the boys thigh comfortingly in order to keep the boy calm. 

"Oh it's in the bathroom, Sev. I'll go get it," Charity rushed off to go fetch the cream as Harry's tears subsided.

Moments later, Charity returned with the cream and rushed over. "If you lift his legs up, I'll put it on," Charity offered, squirting a bit of the cream into her hand, and Severus gently pushed the boy's legs up to his belly button. Harry whined at the weird sensation, wiggling when the cold cream came in contact with his sore bottom and bits. "I know, sweetheart, I know, but it's only going to help you," Charity cooed as she allowed Severus to lay the boy's legs back down in order to gain access to his groin area.

Once finished, Charity wiped her hands on the towel before heading over to her husband's wardrobe and grabbing a plain blue short-sleeved shirt. "This will do, Sev, don't you think? It'll cover his bits while the cream works into his skin. I'd rather him not go back to sleep after he eats. We need to keep him awake if he's going to sleep any tonight," Charity explains, heading over to Harry and lifting the shirt over the boy's head, helping him put his arms through the correct holes. 

"That's a bit unfair, but I see where you're coming from. We'll try," Severus agreed, kissing his wife on the cheek.

"Let's get this one something to eat now, though, yeah?"

~

Severus carried Harry downstairs, placing a finger over his lips as his two eldest sons glanced over to him. He didn't want Harry startled.

Entering the kitchen, the man sat the boy down on one of the dining room chairs before heading over to the cupboards in search of something light to fill the boy's stomach. "Stay there, Harry, while I look for something for you to eat," Severus instructs.

"Freak can't eat people food," Harry tells the nice man. He isn't sure why he hasn't been punished for the scene he caused in the bathroom but he knows it isn't fair to eat the family's food. He saw the two other boys in the living room and they might be hungry. 

Severed, ever a man to think quickly on his feet, replies without missing a beat, "I am afraid all we have is people. We will just have to make due." He continues his search every once in a while checking on the young lad, who remained thoughtfully silent as he sat on the black leather chair.

It took a little while, but Severus eventually finds something for Harry. "Does Mac and Cheese sound good for you, lad?" Severus asks as he made his way over to the boy. Harry looks up and nods. He had made Dudley mac and cheese loads of times and it always looked and smelled wonderful. Finally he's able to try some. "Excellent. Just bear with me for ten minutes while I cook it up for you then," Severus told the boy as he poured the contents of the box into a pot filled with water.

Harry watched as the man cooked. Was this a one off and he's supposed to cook? He used to have to cook for his aunt and uncle all the time.

"Hi, love! What's Severus cooking for you, hm?" Charity asked, sauntering into the kitchen in order to fill up a beaker of juice for the boy as Severus cooked his lunch. 

"Err, m-mac an' ch-cheese," Harry stammered as he squirmed slightly in his seat. "Mm, that sounds yummy. Something nice and easy to start off with, hm? Here, darling," Charity offered the beaker of juice to Harry, smiling as the young boy tentatively took the drink from her with small, clumsy hands.

"T-t'ank y-you," Harry politely replied, bringing the beaker shakily to his mouth before taking a little sip, his eyes widening at the amazing taste that fills his mouth. "Sweet, huh, love? I guess you'll be drinking more of that then?"

Harry nodded as he gulped down the last of the juice, wiping his mouth with his hand before offering the cup back to Charity and ducking his head down. "M-more p-p-please," he whispered, anticipating the blow since every time he had asked for more of something at his relatives' house he would always be hit.

Charity smiled. In such a small amount of time, the boy is making progress in learning to trust them. They must be doing something right. "What was that? It's alright, you can look at me when you're telling me something. I'm not scary, am I?" Charity raised an amused eyebrow, crouching to the boy's level, and Harry smiled slightly and shook his head. He then cautiously looked up, his wide green eyes meeting those of Charity's soft brown ones. 

"Good boy. Now what would you like to ask me?" Charit smiled gently, causing the young boy opposite her to smile a bit, too.

"M-more of t-this, p-please" Harry repeats, this time a bit more confidently despite his stutter. 

"Well done, honey. You can certainly have some more," Charity smiled warmly as she poured more juice for the boy, Severus just finishing up with the mac and cheese. He poured it into a bowl, retrieving a spoon before heading over to the boy and lifting him onto his waist with his free arm. "Let's go sit with your brothers while you eat, find something age appropriate on the telly, yeah?" Severus smils, plopping onto the sofa as Harry sat next to him with a pillow on his lap. 

Brother? Harry doesn't have any brother's.

Once comfy, Charity set the boy's drink on a coaster on the table in front of him as Severus placed the bowl of food on the pillow. "Eat up, little one. Be careful, though, as it is a bit hot," Severus warned as he handed Harry the spoon.

The boy takes the utensil gingerly and grasps it awkwardly in his hand, not quite sure what to do with it. Severus watches with a sad smile. The things that this boy hadn't been taught to do both surprise and saddens him simultaneously. 

"Here, you scoop with it. Like this, look," The man placed his own hand over the boy's much smaller one before helping him to use the spoon, scooping a bit onto the utensil before letting go. "Now you spoon it into your mouth and eat it," Severus explained as he watched the black haired boy clumsily spoon the food in his mouth."Well done, now see if you can do it on your own while I change the channel over. Tom, would you pass me the remote please?" 

Thomas picks up the remote and hands it over to his dad before Severus starts flicking through the channels in order to find something suitable for Harry. "Now, you two can either sit here and watch this with him, or you can go upstairs," the man informs his two older sons, understanding that they had grown out of kids' shows. Oliver still liked to watch them from time to time, though. 

"I'll stay," Oliver replies, and Harry peeked at the older boy before his eyes travelled back down to his bowl.

The spoon had long been forgotten as Harry just couldn't seem to get the hang of it, so he opted to use his hands instead. It was what he was used to and a lot faster. If he takes too long they may decide to take tge food away and punish him instead. His fingers get a little sticky, but it is worth it as the food tasted absolutely delicious. "Me too. I'll stay. Besides, if he's here to stay, we're gonna have to be around more often if he's going to trust us too. Right, Dad?" Thomas concluded. For a fifteen year old, he was very considerate of others.

"Sure thing, lad," Severus smiled, squeezing the older boy's knee in encouragement.

The man soon found a program called 'Paw Patrol' that he had never seen before. He figured it would be a nice thing for Harry to settle down with while he eats. The show consisted of seven main characters, who happened to be all dogs. They all seemed to have their own roles, and Harry is soon sucked right into the show. Severus, along with Charity, Thomas, and Oliver can tell how much the boy truly enjoys it.

"Eat up, sweetheart," Harry tore his eyes off of the TV in order to glance at Charity before nodding his head and digging into his mac and cheese with his hands, shoving pieces into his mouth. The adults saw this but didn't say anything. It isn't like he's doing any harm.

The family sits in peaceful silence while the TV becomes the only thing heard. Harry eventually had enough of the mac and cheese and sat back, sipping at his juice. Severus and Charity shared a concerned look, but knew that the boy would gradually eat more as his stomach became use to new foods.

"You've had enough? It's alright if you're full." Harry glanced up from his now empty glass and nodded his head, even though he did feel guilty at leaving half of it. "I'll take it away then, love. Severus will clean your hands," Charity told the boy as she took the dish away, leaving Severus to retrieve a wipe to clean Harry's cheesy, sticky hands with.

"Come here, you, give me your hands," Harry sticks his hands out, watching in fascination as the man gently cleans them with the wipe, the stickiness disappearing. "Better, little one?" Severus asked as he tossed the wipe into the bin next to the sofa. 

"Uh huh, t-t'ank y-y-you" Harry stammered as he moved slightly in his seat, the juice catching up with his bladder and causing him to need the toilet.

It wasn't an urgent need quite yet, though, so he chose to hold it in. After all, he doesn't know if these people will let him leave the sofa to go to the toilet. He isn't about to ask to find out, either.

Besides, he wanted to keep watching the show with the doggies.

~

It was another forty five minutes and plenty of Paw Patrol programs later until Harry just couldn't sit still. He would shift every few seconds or so before getting comfy again, but the boys and the adults passed it off as Harry simply becoming restless. They took no recognition that he could possibly be needing the toilet.

"You alright there, love?" Thomas asked, noticing that the boy wasn't as interested in the TV anymore. The only reply given was a slight nod before Harry glanced back at the TV again, a hand slipping down to his groin as an urge hit him hard. He didn't whine or groan, though, as that would attract attention.

Thomas paid it no mind and let it be, Charity and Severus chatting in the kitchen about what will happen when the child's papers come. They had put Oliver and Thomas in charge of making sure Harry is alright.

As expected, it didn't matter how much wiggling, crotch grabbing, or jigging he did. The urge to urinate became too strong, and the poor boy found himself wetting the sofa, the shirt he was borrowing, and his legs. 

Uh-oh.

Harry begins to cry silently, tears streaming down his face as his shoulders shake with sobs. He was going to get into so trouble! Would they beat him like his uncle used to do whenever he had had an accident? He surely hoped not.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Oliver asked as he came and sat next to his soon-to-be brother. Harry, however, simply backed into the corner of the sofa. He didn't want them to notice. "Tom, something's wrong with him," Oliver tells his older brother, although he can immediately smell what's wrong with the boy with one whiff.

"Dad! Mom!" Thomas yelled, causing Harry to cry even harder.

At the shout, Severus and Charity came rushing in, only for Severus to send a stern look to his two sons while Charity went to comfort the small lad. "What happened?" he gets straight to the point. 

"Err, he had an accident, Dad, on the sofa. There's wee everywhere," Oliver replied. feeling sorry for the boy. 

"He's right, the poor thing's soaked, Sev," Charity announced as she sat the rigid boy on her lap, rocking side to side in an attempt to calm him. She doesn't mind the wetness seeping into her trousers while Severus sighs as he heads over to his wife to help clean the boy up. He figured a quick but thorough wipe down would do the trick.

"Olly, would you do me a favor, please?" he speaks as his wife lifts the wet top off of Harry. "And could you go grab me a pair of your smallest pajamas, please?" the woman asked as she laid the boy down on the fluffy carpet, Harry rubbing tiredly at his red puffy eyes.

"Sure, Dad," Oliver nods before he rushes upstairs.

"Sweetheart, why didn't you tell us you needed to go? We would have taken you, honey," Charity cooed softly, retrieving the wipes from Severus and pulling a few out in order to wipe the boy's lower regions down.

Harry simply shrugged his shoulders as he begins to cry again. "S-sorry. 'M s-so sorry!" 

"Hey, lad, we're not upset with you," Severus speaks softly. "Everybody has accidents sometimes, don't you know? Some more than others, but it's no reason to be upset. They happen," Severus reasons gently, and Harry tampers his crying. Severus kneels down in order to meet Harry's eyes as his wife finishes wiping him down. "It doesn't matter how old you are, little buddy. Everyone has accidents sometimes. Will you remember that for me?" Severus comfortingly stroked the boy's hair, and Harry nodded, sniffling as he melts into the touch. 

"Got 'em! Look, they're Spiderman!" Oliver gushed, handing the pajamas to his mum. 

"Thank you, love. Now go play, alright? We'll join you in a bit." Both boys nodded before heading upstairs to play Xbox.

Charity, deeming Harry clean before wiping the sofa as well since it was leather, helped the boy into the red and blue spiderman pajamas. They hung loose on the boy, but it would have to do for now. "I think we're going to need to get some pull-ups for him until he's comfortable enough with us to let us know when he needs to potty, Sev," Charity suggested, lifting the tired boy onto her hip.

However, before Severus could reply, shouts and screams could be heard coming from outside, compliments of Harry's former uncle. 

"Let me go, you idiot! I will not be taken away, I've done nothing wrong! The Freak got what was coming to him" the obese man exclaims as he and his wife are put into handcuffs by police officers. Harry heard the loud voice and instantly started sobbing, scared stiff.

"Hey, look, sweetie," Charity coos, carrying the boy to the kitchen window and pulling open the blinds. "Please, love," Charity asks again, softly, and Harry picks his head up to look out the window. He see his aunt and uncle get dragged into a yellow and blue flashing car by a man dressed in black and green while his cousin is taken to a separate vehicle. "Your relatives are going bye-bye for good now. They're getting taken away by the police for hurting you, sweetheart. That was a very big no-no," Charity cooed as Harry laid his head on her shoulder.

"No mo' Uncwle?" Harry hesitantly asks as he sticks his thumb into his mouth.

"That's right, babe. No more Uncle," Charity replied, kissing the boy's hair as she gently sways side to side. Severus comes up behind them and wraps his arms around them both, Oliver and Thomas coming to join too.

"That's right, no more Uncle," Severus reinforced, both his sons nodding even though they don't exactly know what is going on. 

"Here's to new beginnings" the man smiled softly, kissing his wife's cheek and ruffling both of his sons' hair.

"Here's to new beginnings," Charity agrees, pecking Harry's nose. The boy giggles, and everyone's hearts melts.

How could anyone not love the adorable boy?


End file.
